Cerberus Daily News - June 2011
For canon information, see the Mass Effect Wiki page for Cerberus Daily News. This page is for CDN members' non-canon additions. The following stories contributed by Cerberus Daily News forum members were published on the CDN newsfeed during June 2011. See the main Cerberus Daily News page for current updates. June 2011 – Week One 06/01/11 - New details arise in alleged Spectre attack New details of the altercation between Spectre Mira D’Rana and FCC News correspondent Niklaus Westergaard have been released by PNC News Corporation and Citadel Security. PNC footage shows that while the Spectre did pull a pistol and the camera drone did suffer spontaneous, violent damage, the Spectre’s weapon was not directed at Westergaard and did not fire, intentionally or otherwise. A C-Sec spokesman issued a statement confirming the accuracy of the PNC News footage, elaborating that the event occurred while an anti-narcotics operation, which the Spectre was coordinating, was in progress. The C-Sec spokesman stated that while a live round did strike the reporter’s drone, it was from an angle that would have been impossible for D’Rana to achieve at the moment of impact, even if she had pulled the trigger. There are suspects in custody, but the investigation is ongoing. Spectre D’Rana is cooperating with Citadel Security on the matter. 06/02/11 - Man accused of illegal arms dealing released Suspected illegal arms trafficker Dmitri Costas was set free yesterday when officials in charge of the investigation cited a “lack of evidence” in the case. Costas was offered a full apology, and in a statement to the press he said he just wants to “get this whole mess behind him.” Patri Andros, who was relieved of the investigation before this decision was made, has said he is “outraged” at the news. Andros says that there was more than enough evidence to put Costas behind bars for multiple life sentences, and that he will do everything in his power to put Costas back into custody. 06/03/11 - Scandal rocks clawball league The Turian Hierarchy is in shock today, following the public confessions of twelve clawball players. In the confessions, the players admitted to routinely throwing games, either to promote the careers of friends on other teams, or to earn extra credits through black market gambling. The confessions were obtained following a comprehensive, eight month investigation by Hierarchy officials. All twelve players are expected to face prosecution, as well as possible demotion from their current citizenship tiers. Most of the players would not talk to reporters, but one, Rednus Hallick, said, “This is bigger than the Hierarchy thinks. We’re just the ones who got caught.” July 2011 - Week Two 06/04/11 - Archeological team explores ancient colony A multi-species archeological team arrived at the dead colony on Kal’Ala IV, and has begun reporting their findings. In a report to the press, Dr. Telea N’Vir, the team leader, stated that the team is “just beginning to learn the basics” about the dead civilization, and that technical experts are trying to “figure out and access any computer databanks that might still be functional.” Based on art, photographs, and recovered remains from the archeological site, it would appear that the average member of the deceased civilization was slightly shorter and wider than humans and had three eyes, two legs, two arms, an orange skin tone, and hands that consisted of four digits each. 06/5/11 - Spectre D’Rana describes alleged “attack” Spectre Mira D’Rana gave the media a second chance early this morning, accepting an interview request from the PNC News Corporation to speak about the recent allegations of assault made by Niklaus Westergaard. Mirroring her impromptu interview with Westergaard earlier in the year, D’Rana provided a statement of her own, dodging all lines of questioning regarding her personal life or her career, and outright refusing to discuss the identity of the turian that accompanied her during her public debut on the Tayseri Ward. In lieu of answering PNC News’s questions, the Spectre stated, “Mr. Westergaard’s accusations are nonsense. Citadel Security’s report was accurate. Westergaard interrupted an anti-narcotics operation in progress. I’ve been scaling down my involvement on the Tayseri Ward, so I was only present to provide ground-level intelligence. Westergaard is obsessed with me — I don’t know if it’s professional or personal. He thought I might have been there, acted on a hunch, snuck past a Citadel Security perimeter, and blundered across a hotzone. I revealed my location to try and divert attention away from him and onto me. His injuries are unfortunate, but he could be dead.” When asked if she would cooperate were Westergaard to take legal action against her, D’Rana stated, “No. Absolutely not. The footage of what happened is out there for everyone to see and I have more important things to do.” 06/6/11 - L6 scandal fallout: Armax investigates, Elkoss drops case, L6 Consortium splits Galaxy-wide repercussions today in the aftermath of the discovery of stolen L6 biotic implant schematics. First, in a brief written statement, Armax Arsenal CEO Caesun Armax said that the company’s internal investigators had concluded that Sectus Sempara, an Armax executive caught with the stolen schematics, likely masterminded the complicated scheme to steal them, and was preparing to sell them to a representative of the Elkoss Combine, the volus conglomerate attempting to design a competing implant. Armax apologized to the company’s board and shareholders for his failure to stop the theft. In response, the Elkoss Combine announced that it was dropping its conspiracy and patent infringement complaint against the L6 Consortium; in a brief statement Combine CEO Vonar Osk said that Elkoss would start development on an L7 implant to be released in 2192 and optimized for use by turians and salarians. In a final development, the L6 Consortium announced that it is disbanding over “irreconcilable differences” between its members over whether to maintain exclusive control over L6 development, or to release the L6 schematics as open-source. In an exclusive interview, Sirta Foundation president Ashapurna Sirta-Bose said that the theft of the L6 design was proof that the L6 implant should have been open-source all along. “We joined the Consortium to help sentients use biotic powers for a greater good without fear of disability. But technology can only benefit sentients if it is shared, not hoarded. Sharing is the source of all profit. No one can steal something you willingly give.” Ars Biotica 06/7/11 - Quarians discover element zero deposit Reports from the frontier indicate that the quarian flotilla has discovered a massive deposit of element zero in an uncharted system. Independent analysts contacted by the flotilla say that, if the data they have looked at is true, it could be one of the largest element zero deposits in the known galaxy. Governments and energy companies from throughout the galaxy are said to be interested in the coordinates for the find. “This system has more element zero than the quarians could possibly mine,” said one industry insider. “The quarians just found themselves a major bargaining chip.” Galactic Mineral News 06/8/11 - MP Auberger resigns from Parliament Alliance MP Matthew Auberger, a former member of the Terra Firma Party, announced his resignation from the Systems Alliance Parliament today. In a rambling, 38 minute speech, a visibly angry Auberger accused his political enemies of causing his downfall. “The administration of Prime Minister Shastri is the most corrupt the Alliance has ever seen,” Auberger stated. “My willingness to stand up for humanity, to denounce unwise and unfair relationships with alien powers, caused them too many problems. So they opted to destroy me by leaking information from an ongoing ABI investigation.” Auberger’s former allies in the Terra Firma Party applauded his resignation, with one calling it “overdue.” Connie Madore, a Terra Firma MP from Earth, stated that “the Alliance Parliament, and Terra Firma, can now move on to more important issues.” Auberger’s seat will remain vacant until Bekenstein can hold a special election to fill it. The governor of Bekenstein has not yet issued a statement, but it is widely expected that any such special election will be sometime within the next three months. Alliance Beacon 06/10/11 - Dissident art exhibit to tour Citadel space An exhibit featuring works by the batarian dissident artist Vin Gahk is scheduled to begin a six month tour of Citadel space tomorrow. The Batarian Hegemony banned and destroyed most of Gahk’s works when they jailed him for “counter-hegemonist activities.” However, twenty-two were smuggled out of batarian space by his brother, Untihl Gahk, who currently lives in exile on Illium. Gahk’s paintings have been praised for their ability to illustrate small moments of beauty in the ugliness of ordinary Hegemony life. A full schedule of the tour can be found on the extranet, keywords “Vin Gahk” and “freedom.” 06/11/11 - Council delegation meets with quarians As governments throughout the galaxy have expressed interest in the recent quarian element zero find, the Citadel Council has sent a delegation to meet with quarian representatives at a neutral location. The Council has stated that it intends to negotiate on behalf of all Citadel Space governments and corporations. If the Council delegation is given the coordinates to the deposit, it is expected that access will be shared among Citadel Space stakeholders. The Batarian Hegemony, which has also expressed interest in the deposit, issued a statement today in which it attacked the Council for “attempting to starve the Hegemony of a critical resource.” Galactic Mineral News 06/12/11 - Archeologists access Kal’Ala databases Dr. Telea N’Vir reports that her team has accessed some of the databases on the dead colony in the Kal’Ala system. She confirmed that the colonists arrived on the planet via sleeper ship. She explained that they arrived “between 1500-2000 years ago,” and that they fled their home system because its sun had become unstable. The team has also been exploring the colony’s vast underground network, which they estimate was inhabited for nearly 75 years. Included in the network were living quarters, resource mining operations, and basic manufacturing plants. Evidence has emerged that the colonists may also have been in the early stages of assembling a primitive terraforming program for their new world. Attempts at piecing together the colony’s final days, however, indicate that it fell victim to a plague that spread rapidly and left all inhabitants dead. 06/13/11 - Game criticized for portrayal of Cerberus Grand Star Entertainment is in the news for Cerberus Agent, their newly released shooter-RPG hybrid. According to critics, Cerberus Agent portrays Cerberus in an overly positive light, while glossing over or ignoring the more checkered aspects of its history. “The game doesn’t let the player question the Cerberus recruiter about most of the group’s past,” said Deborah Murkowski, with the group Cerberus Watch. “Even when you can, the concerns are dismissed, like they’re nothing important.” In response, a Grand Star representative said, “We take those concerns seriously. However, the game is supposed to be fun, not a documentary.” 06/14/11 - Shuttle pilot suspended A commercial shuttle pilot has been suspended today, following an incident that tied up incoming traffic at Elysium for hours. Investigators report that Elysium control was unable to raise Galaxy Flights Shuttle 132, which had arrived from the Citadel and was in orbit and awaiting landing instructions. A squad of Alliance marines docked with the shuttle, where they found the pilot asleep in the cockpit, with the VI set to keep the ship in orbit. An Alliance official took control of the flight, and all passengers landed safely. 06/15/11 - Turian newscaster dies Veteran newscaster Lorik Nalin died today. Nalin was a long trusted presence on the Hierarchy News Service, and had been praised for his coverage of events as varied as the bi-annual Hierarchy Games to the recent war on Garvug. Many of his special reports were picked up by other C-Space news services, making him a well-known figure both inside and outside of the Hierarchy. Nalin continued his work as a journalist despite declining health in recent years. His family reports that he died peacefully, in bed, at his home on Palaven. 06/16/11 - Element Zero negotiations break down Negotiations between the Citadel Council and the quarian flotilla regarding the uncharted element zero deposit have broken down. Council representatives arrived back at the Citadel early this morning, and announced that they were unable to reach an agreement. “The quarians asked for too much,” said one diplomat. “This isn’t over, though. We haven’t lost yet.” In a statement, a flotilla representative said, “I’m sorry we were unable to reach an agreement with the Council. There are other parties in the galaxy that are interested, however. We have plans to meet with Hegemony officials in the near future.” Galactic Mineral News 06/18/11 - Turian Primarch’s health under evaluation Primarch Janelus Valtora is being evaluated by medical professionals on Bostra today, after he collapsed while meeting with colonists. Primarch Valtora was rushed to a local hospital, where he was revived and underwent medical scans. Local doctors would not comment on the Primarch’s condition, but Artus Krilleon, one of Valtora’s aides, said, “The Primarch is doing well, and expects to travel to a medical facility on Palaven soon for a more thorough examination.” June 2011 – Week Four 06/19/11 - Archeologists discover Kal’Ala sleeper chamber Dr. Telea N’Vir reports that her team has discovered a sleep pod chamber on the dead Kal’Ala IV colony. In an e-mailed statement, she said, “It would seem that as the plague spread, the few remaining Kal’Alites attempted to use tech from their sleeper ship to survive. Unfortunately, it appears that the pods failed a few hundred years ago. None of them are alive.” Dr. N’Vir reports a second, larger chamber adjacent to the sleeper room that they have not been able to enter. The door to this chamber has multiple security locks, and the team is working carefully to access it. 06/20/11 - Hanar religious panel sparks fight Footage of yesterday’s hanar religious panel on the Citadel has become one of the most widely viewed videos on the extranet, following a physical confrontation between two of the panel’s members. The panel, which was sponsored by the Future Content Corporation, was meant to expose the broader galaxy to the religious debates that have been sparked within the “Enkindler” religion regarding the age of the mass relay system. Trouble began when two members of the panel, Momorran, who has been open to the scientific findings, and Bindo, who insists that the findings are fraudulent and heretical to the Enkindlers, began arguing. Eventually, Bindo began thrashing its tentacles at Momorran, who responded in kind. C-Sec quickly intervened, but not before FCC reporter Emily Wong, the panel moderator, suffered minor injuries. Alliance Beacon 06/21/11 - Volus wins Code of Honor tournament Olan Sed has won a surprise victory at the annual N7: Code of Honor: Medal of Duty tournament. Competing for the first time, Sed shocked tournament spectators and participants by quickly knocking out heavily favored players such as Vladimir Davidson, Nivo Allis, and Pranay Chung, and by narrowly defeating Arga Neffelan, last year’s champion, in the final round. Sed, a dropout from Irune Unviersity’s School of Business, says that he plans to use the 50,000 credit prize to upgrade his gaming rig, and that he hopes this victory will help him break into the world of professional gaming. 06/23/11 - Longest case of insomnia cured The longest case of insomnia in the known galaxy is cured. Sources on the asari colony of Lucinia report that Aleena Nadana slept without medical assistance for the first time in nearly 700 years. Nadana’s insomnia stemmed from a harsh combat experience during her time with her local settlement’s militia. Despite frequent visits to specialists, she was never cured of what became a well-publicized condition. Family members of the former huntress confirmed that she recently made unexpected progress in dealing with her past, which may have helped with the sleep disorder. 06/24/11 - Primarch Valtora undergoes brain surgery Turian officials announced today that Primarch Janelus Valtora has undergone brain surgery at the Hieroclus Medical Center on Palaven. Primarch Valtora arrived at the medical center recently to undergo a thorough medical examination. Doctors there discovered an unusual growth on his brain, and immediately rushed him into surgery. The Primarch has not regained consciousness, but is said to have excellent odds of survival. “Hieroclus has an excellent staff,” said Dr. Agora Tridus, with the Hierarchy Medical Service. “If the information I’ve seen is correct, he is likely to recover completely.” 06/25/11 - Krogan praised for bravery on human colony Gatatog Rokk, a krogan construction worker, is being called a hero today in the fledgling human colony New Milwaukee. On his way to the local market, Rokk saved the life of 6-year-old Meredith Wagner when, upon seeing an aircar swerving erratically and rapidly losing altitude, he shielded the girl with his body and absorbed the impact of the crash. The krogan stayed with the girl and her parents until an emergency medical team arrived on the scene. The medics offered to take Rokk to proper medical facilities to apply sealant to his freshly-cracked crest, but he declined the offer, saying, “I didn’t get to buy dinner yet.” Before leaving the scene, Rokk added, “Give the girl a sticker or whatever it is human kids like.” June 2011 - Week Five 06/27/11 - Privateer incident raises Arcturus safety questions Alliance authorities are investigating an incident yesterday between two privateer vessels on approach to Arcturus Station. The privateers were awaiting permission to dock when they began firing on each other. Alliance fighters from Arcturus immediately interceded in the dispute, and the firefight ended with little damage to either vessel. The crews of both ships were detained upon docking. The incident has raised questions about the safety of the space immediately around Arcturus. Daniel DeSalvo, with the group Arcturus Public Safety, told reports, “This is a sad illustration of how dangerous Arcturus has become. We’ve seen a major spike in visits from questionable elements. There should be tighter restrictions on who can dock here.” However, Commander Amy Gorman, with the Arcturus based 22nd fighter division, said, “Our quick response proves just how secure Arcturus is. We interceded before anyone was hurt or any serious damage was done.” Alliance Beacon 06/28/11 - DNA chamber discovered on Kal’Ala IV Dr. Telea N’Vir reports that her archeological team has accessed a massive, heavily protected chamber that contains preserved DNA samples from the Kal’Alites’ homeworld. Although the team has yet to survey every sample, early examination has found DNA from thousands of plants and animals in the chamber. Dr. N’Vir said that her team is still developing theories on the DNA chamber, but stated that, “our early working assumption is that the Kal’Alites intended to use the DNA to clone plants and animals from their homeworld, and ‘seed’ them on their new world as part of the terraforming process.” The doctor has requested that additional experts in archeology and biology be sent to help catalogue the new find. 06/30/11 - Veterans report employment problems Are veterans being left out? A recent survey by the Veterans of Galactic Wars reports high unemployment among former C-Space service members. According to the survey, a disproportionately large number of veterans report being unemployed, despite the beginnings of a turnaround in the galactic economy. The problem varies by government, with the Turian Hierarchy showing little veteran unemployment, while the Systems Alliance and Salarian Union show the worst levels. The VGW expressed concern with the findings, noting that many veterans feel forced into mercenary work when they cannot find other employment. Category:Cerberus Daily News Articles